By 8 p.m. on Wednesday they packed the area in front of the Hanoi Opera House and along Le Thanh Tong Street and Trang Tien Alley, prepared with water, snacks and raincoats.
The crowd swelled into the thousands by midnight, and most decided to stay put despite heavy rain during the night. Some rested on mats on the pavement.
Most of them were young. They said they did not want to miss the chance to attend a “national concert.” The concert on August 26 in Dong Anh commune will feature singers Soobin, Hoa Minzy, Duc Phuc, and Erik.
Spectators lined up for tickets to the “Vietnam Trong Toi” concert at 11p.m. on Aug. 20, 2025. Video by Luu Nhu Quynh
Organizers planned to distribute 9,000 tickets over three days. On Wednesday morning, they stopped after issuing 1,000 tickets as stampede broke out and some people even passed out. After that they announced changes to the ticket distribution process and strengthened crowd control with more personnel.
Five additional ticket counters were set up at the main entrance to the Hanoi Opera House, with separate entry and exit lanes divided by barriers.
People seeking tickets are required to bring their original ID cards to prevent fake registrations and ensure everyone gets the correct number of tickets.
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A crowd in front of the Hanoi Opera House. Photo by Nguyen Linh |
On social media, some of the first tickets were offered for resale at around VND 1.5 million (US$57) each.
Following the 50,000-strong “To Quoc Trong Tim” (Nation in My Heart) concert, fans have scrambled for tickets for subsequent events.
Since August 10 people have been flocking to reselling groups on social media, which now count tens of thousands of members.
Several major concerts in Hanoi set to draw large crowds ahead of National Day on Sept. 2. They include “Viet Nam Trong Toi” (Vietnam in Me) on Aug. 26 in Dong Anh, “80 Nam Tu Hao Viet Nam” (80 Years Of Vietnam Pride) on Aug. 30 at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, “Ha Noi – Sang Mai Khat Vong Viet Nam” (Hanoi – Forever Aspiring Vietnam) on Aug. 30 in Co Loa Citadel, “80 Nam Hanh Trinh Doc Lap – Tu Do – Hanh Phuc” (80 Years Of Independence – Freedom – Happiness) on Sept. 1, “Vang Mai Khuc Khai Hoan” (The Resounding Triumphant Song) on Sept. 2 in Ha Dong District, and “Duoi Anh Sao Vang” (Under The Golden Star) on Sept. 2 at My Dinh National Stadium.
